Bridge warning indicator



i v ll] m/nllJ al 7. ///nn///////// 6 W T 1 1 5 H 6 9 0 flax 2, g I 1 7 vwwntoz Nov. 18, 1930. H. R. CAMPBELL BRIDGE WARNING INDICATOR Original Filed Aug. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jhut Q1 351 WA Gum,

Nov. 18, 1930. H R MPBEL 1,781,675

BRIDGE WARNING INDICATOR Original Filed Aug. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 18, 1930 a; UNITED? STATES PATENT joFFlcE nnrtnnnr a. minimum, or rA'rERsoN, NEW JERSEY BRIDGE WARNING' INDICATOR Application filed. August 7,1928, Serial No. 298,121. Renewed-February 1a, 1930.

This invention relates to bridge warning indicators. I p n Indicators of this kind have been commonly placed at the entrances of railroads and the like to bridges, tunnels and other places where head room over thecars is so limited as to make it dangerous for a person on top of the car to remain erect. Such warnings or indicators commonly employ a re series of flexible cords or other elements which give notice of the approach of a train to the obstruction by striking-the person on the car so that hemay either get OK the top of the caror lie flat thereon and thus escape being struck. v I i As-usually constructed if one of these telltales becomes broken or detached from its support or if the tell-tales becomeentangled :it is'ne'cessary to erect a ladderto make the 2 repairs required and thus, for a time, the track is obstructed-and the workmen are in danger. a

The principal objectof the present invention is to provide a device of this kind where,-

in, in the event of repairs or replacements being necessary, the entire series of tell-tales may be removed without the necessity of a workman approaching on the track or being placed in any danger from being struck by a passing train.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved structure' of this kind so arranged that the removal of one set of'tell-talesmay be used to effect thezplacing in position of a second set so'that at no time is the bridge, tunnel or other structureleft unguarded. j 1

'With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel features Qof construction and combinations of parts I hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying claimed. In the accompanying drawings like charactors of reference indicate like parts in the several views, andz a Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of the invention showing it in position across a track or railroad.

drawings and specifically Figure 2 is a detail view illustrating a second forrnfof theinvention. n

I F'gure 3 is an enlarged detail view partly in section showing one end of the second form.

Figure his a section on the line 44 of Figure 8. I

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5 5 of Figure 1f. i v Figure 6 is'an enlarged sectionon the line 6-6 of Figure 1. n

, In the present embodiment of the invention it will be seen that thedevice isshown supported on a pair of poles 10 seated in suitable foundations 11 at opposite sides 'ofthe railroadtracks T, it being understood that the.

devicema'y be readily modified to stretch acrossanynumb'er of'tracks fromone up and that it is not confined to a double track road deemedn'ecessary to show all such modificationsas may be made. In the present construction a supporting wire or cable 12] is stretchedbetween the tops of the poles 10 and depending from this cable are hangers 13 which carry supporting .meansl i. Said supporting'means are preferably in the form of a housing or tubular supporting member having bothends open asshown the bore forming a guid'eway and from end to end ofthe underside of said tubular memberthere is provided a slot 15. The tubular member mayeither be s'traight throughout as shown in Figure 2 or it" may have its-ends: curved downward as 'shownin Figure 1 at 16 so that they maybe securedto the poles 10by clamps '17. Preferably through this tubular member extends tell-tale carrying means such as the flexible telletale carrierl8 which. is here shown in the form of a suitable rope, the ropebeing of course large enough sothat it will not fall through the slot 15. This rope has its ends.

projecting from the opposite ends of the member 14 and these ends are detachably secured to the posts by means of clips 19 so that the rope is thereby kept from slipping through the support. Extending transversely through;

of wire or rod. The tell-tales proper 20 are attached to the lower ends of the pins 20 and,

army be of cord although light wires may be used throughout.- 7 The tell-tale pins depend through the slot and together with the" telltales proper are slidable with the carrier 18 and are normally grouped over the tracks T as clearly shown 1n Figure 1.

With the invention as thus constructed it is V obvious that all of the tell-tales andthe carrier may be'removed as a unit from thetubularsupporting-member 14; by'loosening the ends of the carrier rope and drawingon one end At the same time a new set may be placed in position by attaching a second carrier rope and its set of tell-tales to the remain ing end of the first carrier so that when one carrier and its tell-tales are drawn out the other carrier and itstell-tales will be brought into position. Thus for no appreciable time will the bridge, tunnel or other structure be left unguarded.

There lias'thusbeen provided a sim le and eflicieut devioeof the kind described and for tnepurpose'speeified; p

Although the forms herein illustrated and described are believed to represent the device V in its'preferred construction, changes of detail canbe' made, as for instance, the supporting member 1'4 may be made suiiiciently strong to support the various parts without the use of the cable i2 hangers 13;

' Itis also obvious that other minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the inv'ention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact'iorin herein snowvnfl and described,'but it is desired toinclude all such as properlycome Within the scope claimed. M p g H v .Havin thus described the invention, wh t is claimed as new, is:

I; In a bridge warning indicator, supportingnieans including a fixed substantially horizontal housin extending across the railroad track, a tel tale carrier directly supgorted by and'slidable lengthwise on said 'xed h u ing, and tell-tales depending from and slidable with said carrier;

52-. Int; brid ewarning indicator, supportringmeansincl uding a fixed housing extending acrossthe' railroad track and having a Ton itudinal guideway, a tell-tale carrier carrie' by said fixed housing and slidable lengthwise in said guide'way, and tell-tales depending from and slidable with said car- 3. In abridge Warning indicator, a fixed supporting member extending across the-railroad track and having a longitudinal chamber, a longitudinal slot on its underside extending the length of said chamber, a tell-tale carrier slidable in said chamber, tell-tale pins passed transversely into said carrier extending through and slidable in said slot, and tell-tales depending from said tell-tale pins. l. In a bridge warning indicator, a tubular supporting member having a slot on its under side, a flexible tell-tale carrier slidable in said supporting member, tell-tales depending from said carrier through said slot, and means for releasably securing the carrier in adjusted position in the supporting member. 5. Ina bridge warning indicator, a tubular supporting member open at both ends and having aslot extending.;.from end to end along its underside, a flexible tell-tale carrier mounted in the supporting member for sliding movement longitudinally theretlrrough, said carrier having its ends projecting fromxthe ends of said supporting member, and tell-tales depending from said carrier through said slot. 6. Ina bridge warning indicator, a tubular supporting member open at both ends and having a slot extending fromend to end along its underside, flexible tell-tale carrying means mounted in the supporting mem her for sliding movement longitudinally therethrough, said means having ends projecting from the ends of said supporting member, tell-tales depending from said means through said slot, and means for releasably securing the projecting ends of said carrying means. i

7. In a bridge warning indicator, a tubu- 'lar supporting member open at both ends and having a slot extending from end to end along its underside, flexible tell-tale carrying means mounted 1n the supporting member. for sliding movement longitudinally therethrough, said means having ends proecting from the ends of said supporting 1nember,sa 1d member having ends curved downwardly for attachment to supports at said means having endsprojecting from the ends of said supporting member,-said member having ends curved downwardly for attach ment to supports at the sides of a track, tellt-ales depending from the part of the carrying means between the curved ends thereof "and extending downwardly through said slot, and means for releasably securing the projecting ends of sa d carrying means.-

9. In bridge warning 1-I1(ll C2tt0L,a pair 'ofspaced posts arranged at the sides of a railroad, a hanger wire stretched between the u per ends of said posts, a tubular supporting member suspended from said hanger Wire from one post to the other and having both ends open and a slot extending from end to end of its underside, a flexible, tell-tale carrier mounted in the supporting member for sliding movement longitudinally therethrough, said carrier having itsends projecting from the endsof the supporting member, tell-tales depending from the carrier through said slot, and clampsdetaohably securing the ends of the carrier to said posts.

Signed at Paterson, in the county of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, this 14th day of July, 1928.

H. R. CAMPBELL. a 8.] V 

